When it comes to Christmas, there are two types of celebrants: the ones who dream of warm temperatures, sandy beaches, and sunny days while going about their very important holiday activities, and those who truly understand the magic of Christmas lies in the cold, the snow, and the romance of a white Christmas, which is why Steamboat Springs will make the perfect holiday destination in 2024. Offering the traditional Christmas activities that bring a sparkle of pure joy to your children’s eyes, the magic continues when you bring it home to our Grand Adventure Company holiday hideaways. This guide to the magic of our Steamboat Springs Christmas adventures and the joy you will find at home with us will bring joy and happiness as your anticipation for the getaway builds to new heights of excitement!
Santa Saddle’s Up, Steamboat Square, December 14
The magic of your children’s belief in Santa will shine even brighter when they witness the Steamboat Santa Horseback Procession, an event that has taken a brief sojourn has returned and we don’t know who is more excited, the adults or the children! Santa rides into the resort with the assistance of two of our most legendary locals at 1 PM; this is a quick procession, so get there early and don’t miss a single clip clop of the horse’s hooves. After the procession, Santa will take his seat on the Steamboat Stage, visiting, taking requests, posing with excited children and because this experience isn’t quite sweet enough, hot cocoa and cupcakes will be available for all!
Holiday Drone Show, Steamboat Square, December 14
December 14 is going to be a very busy day in Steamboat Square, and this Holiday Drone Show that lights up the night is the next item on the agenda for magic and enchantment. The lights on the drones that dance through the sky will dazzle you with the charming formations created by these technological marvels, the display starts at 5:30, and after the show has ended, a holiday skate party will take place at Skeeter’s Ice Rink, giving visitors the opportunity to live out their very own Hallmark movie, gliding around the rink, sipping hot chocolate, perhaps even as snow falls gently from the sky. The magic will continue when the resort opens for night skiing starting at 6 PM.
The Nutcracker, Steamboat Springs High School, December 19 through 21
Keeping up with your traditions is as important as trying on some new ones for size, and for many, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without watching a performance of The Nutcracker, and in Steamboat Springs, Elevation Dance Studios is where you will turn. Offering their spin on the classic favorite, talented dancers whirl, jump, and dance across the Christmas stage providing a familiar joy to all who are in the audience watching. Ticket prices range between $25 and $40 per person, making this holiday activity one that doesn’t just bring magic, it brings magic at a bargain price!
Holiday Balloon Glow, Steamboat Ski Resort, December 21
This next event is a simple one, providing a glow that will warm your heart as you explore the delights offered in Mountain Village, where four hot air balloons will be anchored to the ground and lighting up the night sky. Adding shine to the night as you ski down the slopes of Steamboat Springs, the excitement in the air will invade your soul, especially as Christmas is just a few days away! Timber & Torch will be open serving bistro food and offering views of the Hot Air Balloons, so if you’re hungry and want to get out of the cold, it is a win-win situation.
Hannukah Mountain Celebration, Steamboat Stage in Steamboat Square, December 28
Christmas isn’t the only December holiday offering magic and charm, and this year Hannukah and Christmas will be sharing the stage as the former starts on December 25 and ends on January 2. The Hannukah Mountain Celebration offers treats, songs, and the lighting of the Menorah, with everyone being invited to join in this treasured celebration.
Welcome Home to Grand Adventure Company
Providing magical and relaxing adventures for our guests is what we do best and as you partake in some of your favorite traditions, we think you will agree. Gather with the family playing games around the dining room table as the snow falls softly outside, watch your favorite Christmas movies on state of the art televisions, and fall asleep in the most comfortable beds in the state, dreaming about that jolly bearded white man that has made your children believe in magic. Reserve your favorite holiday hideaway today and make Steamboat Springs Christmas 2024 one to remember!
Your white Christmas dreams can come true when your holiday journey brings you to our mountain hometown of Steamboat Springs, and the dreams you never knew you had about comfort and luxury will come true when you choose Grand Adventure Company for your holiday hideaway. Keep up with your most beloved traditions while adding some new ones to the mix, such as sledding down local hills, skiing the slopes of Steamboat Ski Resort, and maybe even dining out instead of slaving over a hot stove as you have during Christmases past! This guide to your favorite Christmas dinner in Steamboat Springs will show you all the options you can enjoy when the dinner bell rings, allowing travelers to celebrate in all the best of ways.
A Gift Unwrapped with Every Bite
Every family has their own traditions, and in most, the lion’s share of the work falls upon mom. She shops for all the gifts and then wraps them and places them under the tree, she cleans the house from top to bottom, starting anew when she finishes the last room (generally the kitchen), and she makes the meal that is the centerpiece of the holiday from scratch, with very little help from anyone else. This year, we suggest you give mom (or whoever takes on all the chores we just listed) a gift that can be unwrapped with every bite she takes, that of a dinner prepared, served, and cleared away by someone else. The restaurants we have listed below will give you an idea of what the culinary landscape of Steamboat will look like during your stay.
Après Burger Bistro, 2500 Village Drive
For many, it is the Christmas Eve meal that is the big feast, and Après Burger Bistro is where you might want to chow down. Offering its standard menu of burgers and more, this reasonably priced establishment will be a boon to a budget that may be overtaxed from too much Christmas shopping. Also providing an extensive beer, wine, and cocktail menu, visitors will have plenty to celebrate at Après Burger Bistro.
The Cabin’s Christmas Dinner Buffet, 2300 Mt. Werner Circle
We love a buffet, and The Cabin’s Christmas Dinner Buffet is one we wait for all year. Offering turkey, ham, and all the trimmings, including pumpkin pie and Christmas cookies, this feast is destined to make mom a very happy traveler and we all know that a happy mom makes a happy family!
The Best of Both Worlds
It’s cold outside in December, and that fireplace in your Grand Adventure Company holiday hideaway feels awful warm and cozy, perhaps enticing you to spend the day inside, hanging with the family, playing with your Christmas toys, and just relaxing in ways you aren’t normally able to do. Everyone still needs to eat, though, and mom may still not want to cook, but that’s ok; the spots listed below offer takeout meals that will just need to be heated and enjoyed!
Moe’s Original BBQ, 1898 Kamar Plaza
Offering a holiday catering menu that just needs to be heated and eaten, your Christmas cottage will be redolent with the scents of a made from scratch meal, one that mom didn’t have to stress over. Ham is the main dish, and the sides include cornbread, sweet potato casserole, collard greens, and mac and cheese, a stick-to-your-ribs meal that will be even more wonderful because mom didn’t have to do the work, and no one had to venture out into the cold!
Safeway, 37500 US Highway 40
Sometimes the best restaurant isn’t a restaurant at all, it is the grocery store where you have been shopping for all your culinary needs and Safeway offers the perfect example. Providing party trays and ready to go meals, you can order what you need ahead of time, pick it up on Christmas Eve, and enjoy a lazy day at home while enjoying a delicious dinner that will be remembered long after you have devoured the last crumb.
Keep It at Home with Grand Adventure Company
Your favorite Christmas dinner in Steamboat Springs may be the ones you make at home with Grand Adventure Company. Our fully equipped kitchens are cheerful spaces, offering updated appliances, plenty of counter space, and a heart of the home vibe that will give mom (or the cook of the big meal) a delicious sense of joy. She knows the recipes that lie in your heart, she knows the secret ingredients that turn macaroni and cheese into a true family favorite, and she knows that her family is worth every minute she spends in the kitchen preparing the Christmas meal. Traditions come and traditions go, but spending Christmas with the family and devouring meals made from scratch that mom makes so well is one tradition that will stay the same for a lifetime. Reserve your favorite holiday hideaway today!
The idea of a perfect Christmas can mean different things to different people, but the main ingredients often remain the same. Spending time with family, of course, is at the top of that list, as is watching holiday movies as the snow falls gently to the ground outside and a fire crackles merrily inside, and our personal favorite, seeing how everyone decorates their homes with colorful lights, whimsical inflatables, pixel and real Christmas trees, and a joy that is a natural accompaniment to this festive season. For some, traveling to places where temps are warm and beaches are clear is what brings them happiness, but we at Grand Adventure Company are talking to our people, the ones who prefer the original picture we painted and maybe even imagine the mountains in the background, and for them, this guide for seeing Steamboat Springs Christmas lights and displays will bring a holiday that warms the heart.
Light up the Night, November 29th, Routt County Courthouse Lawn, 6 PM
It’s the traditions that make us fall deeper in love with Christmas and just because you are traveling it doesn’t mean you will have to give up all of yours. The day after Thanksgiving, in addition to being Black Friday, is the traditional date for putting up Christmas decorations, and Steamboat Springs celebrates the right way with this quick but memorable night of lights. People gather on the Routt County Courthouse Lawn, meeting with Santa, enjoying Christmas cookies and hot cocoa, and waiting for our local fire department to drop hundreds of white ping pong balls down on them, each one marked with some sort of special discount to local stores and restaurants. The skies will be dark, the snow will be white and plentiful, and those white balls are destined to be a little difficult to find but find them you will and hopefully before 6:30 when, with the flick of a switch, the colorful lights of the courthouse Christmas tree will light up the night. This brief adventure will offer a holiday singalong, happy children, and the first opportunity to see our Main Street lit up for the season.
Holiday Balloon Glow, December 21st, Steamboat Ski Resort
Join us for an evening of sensory delight. View the beauty of four magnificent hot air balloons that will illuminate the Mountain Village from 5:30-6:30pm. Spectators can stroll among the standing balloons or watch from the warmth of a slope side eatery. Enjoy night skiing and swing by Timber & Torch or The Range Food and Beverage Hall to warm up and enjoy dinner and drinks. Get ready for the Steamboat Light the Night Balloon Glow Celebration to kick-off the holidays!
Santa Visits in His Study, December 2, 9, 16, 17, & 23, Routt County Courthouse Lawn
Not everyone is going to be able to be here Thanksgiving weekend, but the County Courthouse Christmas tree, the lights of Main Street, and more than a few trees on Forrest Avenue will remain lit through New Year’s, ensuring that you will be able to enjoy a shimmering and colorful night every night of your Steamboat Springs visit. And on select nights, although there won’t be any ping pong ball drops, Santa will set up shop in his study, also found on the Routt County Courthouse lawn, waiting to hear your kiddos wish list as he poses for the pictures your children will treasure. These exciting moments are the ones you will remember long after your children have grown and started having children of their own.
Santa Saddles Up, December 14th, Steamboat Stage
Steamboat is excited to bring back the tradition of the Santa Horseback Procession. Santa will ride into the resort from the Torian Plum Area right down the slopes into the heart of Steamboat Square, escorted by legendary locals Bob Dapper and Dean Vogelaar. The event begins promptly at 1:00 pm and takes just a few minutes. Make sure to be here early not to miss it. Immediately following the ride, Santa will be available on the Steamboat Stage to visit with guests and take pictures. Complimentary hot chocolate and cupcakes will be available. Skeeters ice rink will also be open for skating.
A Very Steamboat Holiday Festival, Mid-December, Routt County Courthouse Lawn
For over 100 years, the Routt County Courthouse has represented justice in Steamboat Springs, its stately architecture adding an elegance to our wild west town, but, as you can see from this page, it has also been the centerpiece of our holiday celebrations. The dates haven’t been released as of yet for the annual Very Steamboat Holiday Festival, traditionally held the middle weekend of December, so we will update shortly. In any case, this last festival before the jolly man makes his trips down the chimney offers a few hours of fun (it starts at 11, ends at 2) guaranteed to build the anticipation to new heights of thrilling. Offering Santa in his study where a free family photo can be taken, giving travelers a wonderful souvenir of their Steamboat getaway. Outside in Santa’s Workshop, your little elves will have the opportunity to craft a holiday gift with the help of the elves from our local 4H club. Hot cocoa will be served and the snow will blanket the landscape creating a holiday picture of perfection that you will never forget.
Holiday Drone Show, December 14th, Steamboat Square
Join us at Steamboat Resort for an unforgettable evening of magic and wonder! As the sun sets on the sky will come alive around 5:30 PM with a mesmerizing drone show that captures the heart of Steamboat’s spirit and the festive holiday season. Watch as lights dance through the air, creating dazzling formations that will leave you in awe. Bring your friends and family to experience this one-of-a-kind celebration—it’s a night of spectacular sights and unforgettable memories you won’t want to miss!
Steamboat Springs Christmas Wanderings
Some of your favorite light and decoration displays may be found in the neighborhoods in which your Grand Adventure Company holiday hideaway is located. Just like at home, the communities will be filled with homes decorated in their finest Christmas attire, featuring colorful lights, whimsical inflatables, and upon occasion, synchronized music that will make you tap your feet and sing along. Our Colorado locals outdo themselves every year, and as you explore the homes around your escape, you know that in just a few short moments you will be back in your Steamboat Springs vacation rental, sipping hot cocoa, and preparing for the big day. Reserve your favorite escape today!